Significance of Diwali Events

" There are five days they celebrate there... "
“……..as you know there are five days they celebrate there. The first day is the thirteenth day, where it is the gruhalaksmi’s day that is the day when the gruhalaksmi is worshipped. But a gruhalakshmi has to be worthy of the worship, and then some utensil is given, to the gruhalakshmi. Some sort of a utensil is to be given to the gruhalakshmi as a present. That is the day Lakshmi was born, Lakshmi, was born out of the Mother Earth, out of the, we should say Mother Earth, but She came out of the Sea, after the churning, so that is the birth of the Lakshmi. She’s the giver of wealth. Wealth which is material as well as spiritual. ...
So that’s the day of the gruhalakshmi when She’s born. She must have these qualities, if she’s a miserly, calculating type of a woman; she is not a woman at all to begin with. If she’s worried about her own clothes and her own comforts and her own things then she’s not a gruhalakshmi. She makes others work and sits down and all orders about, she’s not a gruhalakshmi at all. She has to work, for others, she has to do for others, she has to look after. That’s the thirteenth day.
Then the fourteenth day is the day when Narakasura was killed. You know Narakasura has taken his birth, and he’s to be killed, the Sahaja Yogis are going to kill him. You have to come up to a point and definitely he can be killed. When Kartikeya is awakened within you, he can be killed. But for that you have to be just like gold, untarnishable. You need strong people to do that. A sword that can kill him has to come out of your [metals or mettles]. Then Narakasura can be killed. He is one of the worst possible asuras. That is the fourteenth day. When he was killed, the gate of hell was opened and, all those where, his disciples or his followers or satanic people were put. That’s the only day you can sleep late, and a good news for you.
Then the fifteenth day, is the darkest night, which we had, darkest night. That is the night when you put the lights on, because it is the darkest night the negative forces can walk in. So the lights are put, because Lakshmi can come in. You’ll be surprised how Lakshmiji is, that if a bottle of wine enters from one end, She disappears from another. ... That’s the responsibility of women, to keep the Lakshmi intact. So that’s the Lakshmi Day when we say that Lakshmi Puja takes place because that is the day you invite the Lakshmi to come in, the Rajalakshmi, the Lakshmi by which you become the king of the family or the, royal, benevolence you can call it, the regal, feeling in the family, that is the day.
Then comes the day, next to that is the first, of the month in, that is the calendar, My forefathers, because you’re all My children you have to use the same calendar Shalivahanas calendar and that is the first day of the Shalivahanas calendar. And what do they do in the morning time, to celebrate it, they take one of these, jars, Aquarius, and put a shawl with it, and that is put as a flag, representing the Aquarius and the Shawl of the Mother. That’s why they are called as Shalivahana, the ones who carry the Shawls of the Mother. The Carriers of the Shawls of the Mother. That’s how they put it up. The shawl on top of it the Aquarius, this should be actually the flag of the Sahaja Yogis, that you make it the, Aquarius or we can say the, jar, what do you call that, pitcher, or not pitcher but this lota business what do you call that - there’s nothing used like that here. That one is to, kumbha we can call in kumbha, and the shawl is there, so they put it up that’s why they call it as Gudi Padwa means - first day of the moon is Padwa Gudi means this. So they put it up and that is how they say that today is the New Year day, for the Shalivahanas.
Shawl is the covering of your Mother, which gives it warmth and also, it covers her modesty. Shawl is a sign of regality and modesty and chastity. So you stand for that, of your Mother. You protect it, like Ganesha does. Only on one point He gets angry, if anybody says or does anything against the Mother, then He comes down. That’s why Christ has said: ‘Anything against Me I’ll tolerate, but anything against the Holy Ghost, will not be forgiven.’ That’s the Son, talking about the Mother, that’s what happens.
So today is, the second day. Second day is the Bij, is the, they call it the, Bhav-bij or Bhaubij is the day when the brother, and the sister, who are the seeds, of one tree, have that, pure exchange of affection. The sister does the aarti of the brother, gives him a tika and then brother gives her something as a token of his love, as a present.
... So this is the fifth day is Dwija. So from thirteenth, to the fifth day they celebrate Diwali. For us Diwali has a very great significance that is, from one light many lights are awakened and they are put in a line, so they are called as Diwali - means ‘the lights put in a line’. So when you hold My Hands together all of us, through that, the energy passes and the enlightened rasa is established, and the whole world has to become, that beautiful [rain or reign], of your Mother where, nothing but the bliss of your Father, and His enjoyment, when He sees, His Own Creation dancing, in that Ocean of Bliss. May God Bless you. (H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Speech extract from Diwali Puja, Hampstead, London, 1983)

" Now, there are many things that have happened during these four days and that’s how it is celebrated with such a great enthusiasm "
“……..Here we are here, all of us, to celebrate a four-day festival called as Diwali. Diwali comes from the word dipali in Sanskrit, the word deepa means ‘the light’, and ali means the ‘line’, the ‘rows’. Now, there are many things that have happened during these four days and that’s how it is celebrated with such a great enthusiasm. The first thing is the day of the Lakshmi’s birth, that is the thirteenth day of the moon: teras they call it. Is the real day when Lakshmi was born out of the sea; that’s why She is called as Miriam or Mariam. Word ‘Mari’ or ‘Marie’ also comes from the word ‘sea’. So, She’s born out of the sea, is created out of the sea. And the wealth of the sea, so far, thank God, human beings have not yet exploited, but they may one day start doing that also. And a lot of wealth is still there, so when people start getting worried about exhausting the Mother Earth, we must know that sea is much more than the earth is. So nothing is exhausted, still there is such a lot reserve for you, and one should not worry as to the supply of wealth that can come from the sea.
Now, this Lakshmi is the goddess, who stands on the lotus. She represents all the well-being, the wealth, the glory of wealth, the decoration of wealth; whichever is auspicious. Whatever is not auspicious is not wealth. According to Sahaja yoga, or according to any scripture, it is not wealth at all. So She’s a lady who stands on a lotus, showing that a person, who has got wealth, has to be a person who does not assert his pressures on people, who doesn’t push people around, who doesn’t pressurize. And then, She’s a lady, She’s a mother. So wealth, is the first opening to our seeking. But when you start seeking the wealth, you realize that the superficial wealth that you are seeking is not sufficient, is not going to give you complete joy. So you start seeking the deeper wealth. As I said that: ‘On the Mother Earth you’ve exploited all that is possible.’ Still there, deep down in the sea, lot of wealth still.
So then the seeking moves toward the deeper seeking. So the same Lakshmi becomes Mahalakshmi. When you start expanding yourself to higher and deeper valuables then this Lakshmi doesn’t lure you much; She’s just there for your glory, but not for your satisfaction. The wealth is there for distribution. You enjoy the - there’s no word for daan, I think? Oh, ‘generosity’, but ‘generosity’ is different. But what I’m saying: ‘Generous fondness’; it’s a fondness, you see, that you should be generous. That is a very great happiness and joy that you feel. That is the greatest, when you are generous, when you give away. That’s a fondness, that’s a kind of a human expression of one’s own being, that you want to be generous. And this generosity only can come when Mahalakshmi principle is born in you.(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Speech extract from Diwali Puja, London, 1982)

" First of all you have to know there are four days that are celebrated in Diwali, but there is one more day added to it in Maharashtra. "
“………First of all you have to know there are four days that are celebrated in Diwali, but there is one more day added to it in Maharashtra. The first day of Diwali is called as Dhanatrayodashi, is the thirteenth day of the moon. Because that day is the first day when Lakshmi, the first… was born on the thirteenth day. That means She was born as a Gruha Lakshmi, as a housewife. Now there are eight Lakshmis. ... the first is the form of a Gruha Lakshmi. She is born as a Gruha Lakshmi to begin with. That means the awareness of human beings also, started really getting into evolutionary process when they started their family life. When they were vagabonds moving about, then the awareness was just like animals. Though they had become human beings, but they were like animals. Then when they established their families, then the Gruha Lakshmi started working and that's how the first advent of Gruha Lakshmi was felt. So She is the first Lakshmi who was born, and that's why on that thirteenth day is the day of the Gruha Lakshmi, of the housewife. And so one has to go in the market and buy some utensil or something that she uses for cooking in the house. In India on the thirteenth day everyone goes and buys a pot or say… we can say, what you call, a cooking utensil or something. Or they may buy a sari or something or gold or something for the Gruha Lakshmi. That is the day of the housewife. So, to reach the Lakshmi one has to understand that motherhood is very important.
The motherhood as a Gruha Lakshmi is important. And the second day is even more important, because Narakasura was killed. Horrible Narakasura as you know him. But actually that day many rakshasas are killed in many… That's the day fixed for killing rakshasas. And then they are put in the hell; on the fourteenth day they are put in the hell. So that’s called as Naraka Chaturdashi, that is the day when the hell is opened out. That day Sahaja Yogis are supposed to sleep in the night while everybody does all kinds of tantrikavidya and all that on the fourteenth.
Then the fifteenth is that darkest night, that’s the darkest night when there is no moon. Absolutely that's the day when they celebrate the Diwali. But symbolically in India also, Shri Rama returned to Dwari, to his place on that day and was crowned on that day. So the significance of Diwali is expressed in this manner, that this is the day when Narakasura, with all of them are killed, they have all gone to Narak, they have gone to the hell, and the people now are safe from them and they are celebrating the joy. And that is the time when Christ was born. That's why lights are lit just in the night, ‘cause He was born at twelve o'clock in the night.
So the next day to that is the day is celebrated in India only in Maharashtra. ... That's the first day of the moon. That is the forefather of your Mother, Shalivahana; they started a calendar, from that date. And so on the first, that means the first day of the moon, the New Year is celebrated. Now see symbolically if Christ is born and the New Year is celebrated, next day. As soon as He is born New Year starts. So next year it starts: the New Year. That is a New Year in many parts of our country where Shalivahana lived. The Shalivahan was my forefather, I should say they were My… they were just a dynasty. And this dynasty ruled in India since very long. Even in the old puranas it is written that they helped Krishna in their war. You know all the story about Shalivahana quite a lot. And so the New Year started. So for us, that is the New Year, for Sahaj Yogis that is the New Year, you have to accept it. And your Mother is of that dynasty. I mean no force on you, but if you like you can have it.
Then the second day is also very important. Is the second day is the moon, that is the moon came out of the sea. According to this mythology, the Lakshmi came out of the sea and with Her this moon came out, which was only a two-day-old moon, the new moon but a two-day-old moon, and this was regarded as the brother of Lakshmi, because they were born at the same time from the sea. So He is the brother of Lakshmi. It’s all symbolic; this is very, very symbolic. Now you see the left side is… left side you know is that of… belongs to Mahakali, and a brother had to be on this side, on the left side. But actually you'll be amazed that he is the brother of Lakshmi. He is not a brother of Mahakali. But because he’s the brother of Lakshmi, he is accepted as the brother of all the goddesses, one brother for all of them. So he is the only brother who is this moon, so he is your uncle, he is your maternal uncle. It's very interesting, because we have a special right on our maternal uncle, we can always ask for his help”. (H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Speech extract from Mahalakshmi Puja, Hampstead, London, 9/11/1980)

" It’s the day of Mahalakshmi Puja night, not only of Lakshmi Puja; there’s a difference between the two. "
“……..It’s the day of Mahalakshmi Puja night, not only of Lakshmi Puja; there’s a difference between the two. Mahalakshmi is one of the main powers of Adi Shakti. As you know: Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali. Now these powers have powers at a material level also, at a subtler level also. So Mahalakshmi power is achieved after Lakshmi power, as you know. There are eight powers of Lakshmi.
This Lakshmi was born or came out of the sea, the great sea, which was churned thousands and thousands of years back. And She came out of the sea because She is the daughter of the sea. That's why She's called as Neeraja. Neera means 'water' and ja means 'born out of.' This has happened thousands and thousand years back that She was born. So what is that? What is this Lakshmi? See symbolically, what is it expressing? It is expressing the awareness. Lakshmi expresses awareness, and She came out of the sea, you know that; the awareness first started growing in the sea.
The life started existing in the sea, to begin with, and then it grew out. Without the life there is no awareness. First the life, because everything is jarda, everything is dead, and when it becomes life it means it has awareness. So the awareness started growing in the sea. This is the symbolic expression. In the gross level you can understand this way. But actually the subtle level, it is the other way round. But because we see things from the gross level, we say that "that is symbolic,” but actually from the other side if you say, “this is symbolic.” Do you understand this point? So for Me it is symbolic to see how the life came into being in the sea and that it became aware. For Me it is symbolic and for you it is symbolic the other way round. I mean if I see something from this side, I see this way and while you see from that side you see this way. Do you understand this? If you want to paint something on a glass, how do you paint it on the glass? Have you any idea? You start painting first the outermost things that you have to paint. For example if you are painting the Goddess, first you will paint Her ornaments, then Her sari, then Her body. Like that it will be moving deeper from this side, if you are painting it on the glass, because you have to see it from the other side. But supposing you have to paint it on a canvas, you’ll paint it the other way round. You first paint the body, then the sari and then the ornaments. So to one thing it is symbolic because they think this goes from their angle, to the other person who is from the other angle this is absolutely symbolic. And surprising that everything is so symbolic and so much just the same, that whatever you may say, the subtle remains subtle and the gross remains gross. The one who is at the subtle level sees the gross as a symbolic expression of his subtle attention.
Now She was born in the sea. She was called as Neeraja. Or Neera that means “water.” My name is – one of them is Nira as you know; out of Nirmala one name is Nira, Neema and Neela, like that I've got three names, four names I should say the big one is Nirmala. So this Nira part means what, that She was born in the sea, that… the name of Mary is also the same. Miriam or Mary, I don't know how you say in English, but Maria comes from Marie, the word Mari. Mari itself comes from the word Meri. So this Mahalakshmi, Mary is named, and She is, because She was born in the sea and that's how Her name was Mary. Mariana they call Her, some people call Her Mariana, sometime call Her Miriam. All these words are indicating that She was born in the sea. So She is Mahalakshmi. Now Mary is Mahalakshmi and Ganesha is the child. Now see how symbolically it works, that only in Diwali the Lakshmi and the Ganesha are worshipped, only these two personalities. Can you understand that?
The symbol of Mahalakshmi for Me is Mary, for you it is Mahalakshmi is the symbol. And the symbol of Ganesha outside is Christ. He is symbolizing Ganesha. So, both of them are worshipped only on Diwali. Actually this is the Christmas. This is the real Christmas that was before also, and this was the time baby Christ was born, not the 25th of December. Though it's a misunderstanding, doesn't matter, keep it up. Doesn't matter, whenever He’s born, because there used to be a very big festival, and after the festival He was born, called as Valaanan. I don’t know what you call in modern times, that time it was called like that. And then this child was born and that was the time Christmas was celebrated. It was just tallying with that, but somehow it shifted, I don't know how, how it shifted. And there might be somewhere you'll find out that real Christmas was shifted.
... Now the awareness that was seeking up to Lakshmi, means you achieve money, achieve position for achieving Grace, once you have achieved the Grace of this, you want to achieve God. And this new awakening within you that you have to achieve God now, is the power of Mahalakshmi. By the power of Mahalakshmi only, you achieve your saintliness, your Realization. That's why She came on this earth as the Mother of Jesus Christ. That was Mahalakshmi, not Lakshmi but Mahalakshmi.
May God bless you. (H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extract from Shri Mahalakshmi Puja, Hampstead, London, 9/11/80)
http://sahajayoga.org.in/nirmalnagari/calender_significance.htm